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Wednesday, 8 October 2014

Knowle relocation project: designs for a new building... or... ..."visionary office design and functionality" by retaining, refurbishing and recycling

The question when building something is always whether it is better to build completely anew - or to take what is already there and do something with it.The Express & Echo has carried a reader's proposed design for the District Council's new HQ:

East Devon resident urges East Devon District Council to relocate to Honiton by submitting own building designs

A FORMER architectural designer is so angry at East Devon District Council’s plans to relocate its HQ from Sidmouth to SkyPark, he submitted his own designs. Keith Konopka from Whimple is vehemently opposed to the council’s bid to relocate to SkyPark, instead of centrally located Honiton, because of its position on the western fringe of the district.

In February, Cabinet members selected SkyPark out of four shortlisted sites including Cranbrook town centre and two sites on Heathpark in Honiton and Clyst House, Winslade Park at Clyst St Mary.

So far, around £705,000 has been spent on the relocation project.

Mr Cohen and council leader Councillor Paul Diviani have long said that the current buildings are “oversized and inefficient” and Cabinet has backed the proposals to move.

In August, Mr Konopka submitted detailed designs of a cellular office layout, and an artist’s impression of a building he thought would suit the authority’s needs, ideally to be situated in Honiton. But in a responding letter, Mr Cohen explained that the council was seeking to relocate to open plan style offices as it has found its current similar environment “inefficient” and “preventing best practice”.

Mr Konopka is now drawing up new plans of an open plan style building which he intends to resubmit. “The most logical place to relocate to is Honiton because it is central,” he said. “But I think the decision was made right at the beginning to relocate to the western edge. I thought I could design something suitable myself and there was always a glimmer of hope they would listen. It is widely known that open plan offices increase stress levels and staff absenteeism and diminish privacy.”

This August Savills estate agents began marketing the 4.67 acre site of its headquarters at Knowle and its Manstone depot in Sidmouth. The sites are being offered for sale by informal tender. The sale of these sites for redevelopment are integral to the council’s ability to fund its planned relocation to SkyPark, the site alone which would cost the council £986,000.

Critics of the council’s relocation bid, including both residents and councillors, have argued that a move from Sidmouth won’t be as cost effective as council officials have stated. Concerns have also been expressed over the viability of locating the council’s headquarters on the fringe of the district.

Capital receipts from the sale of the council’s site at Heathpark in Honiton which includes the East Devon Business Centre which houses 20 businesses, will also be invested in the new headquarters. Heathpark was controversially marketed for supermarket development last year and exchange of conditional contracts for this multimillion-pound sale was described by the council as being “imminent” in June.